


fly

by manzana



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, disneyland au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manzana/pseuds/manzana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>theme park employee was probably the wrong line of work for a guy like sousuke, especially in the busiest park in the world, and he probably would have quit months ago, to be honest.</p>
<p>but, see, there's this really cute parade performer, and, well -- you can't blame him, really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	fly

**Author's Note:**

> heyooo disneyland au yay !!
> 
> sousuke is one of [these guys](http://davelandweb.com/townsquare/images/2000/2012/DSC_2904.jpg). 
> 
> rin's parade/costume/routine isn't from any particular disneyland parade, is pretty much a mishmash of different parades i've seen. the kind of acrobatics he's performing is aerial silks, but i took direct inspiration from the spanish web performers from the lion king float from the 2005 parade of dreams. [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPmDR_GNt8M&t=1m0s) a link to a video of that, it's about three minutes long & SUPER COOL. 
> 
> fyi, disneyland employee terminology: uniforms are referred to as costumes, customers/park-goers are referred to as guests... i tried to resist using too much disney jargon so i think that's everything 
> 
> cross-posted from [my tumblr](http://princessbubblgum.tumblr.com/post/116658902079/fly) !

Sousuke casts an idle glance skyward, where high above his head floats a bouquet of balloons, a dense myriad of bright colors dancing in the breeze against the wide expanse of blue. It's a nice day, he thinks; no clouds, the sun warm without being uncomfortably bothersome, enough wind to keep his skin cool, to keep his wares wiggling around invitingly above him.

 

He'd always loved midday shifts like these.

 

It had nothing to do with the weather, though, although 12 PM to 8 PM just so happened to be the time frame which was most pleasant to be outside in. Being that he was paid to stroll about outside dragging around heavy bundles of poly satin ribbon while selling balloons to willing patrons, the nice weather _was_ a plus. 

 

 

It had nothing to do with hours either, despite being the most ideal: late enough to suit his aversion to waking up before 10 AM and early enough to accommodate the social life he didn't have but potentially _could_ have. 

 

 

It definitely wasn't for the increased park activity during these hours, right when most people got off work or school and took advantage of the daylight. He wasn't much of a people person in general, to be honest -- "you're in the wrong line of work," being the most common response he received upon sharing this tidbit about himself with others -- so it always surprised his coworkers whenever he'd eagerly offer to exchange shifts with them just to work during those hours. He'd made up the excuse that these hours suited his school schedule much better, never mind that he wasn't in school, nor had he been in school for years. Most people bought the lie and sympathized, however, and more often than not he got what he wanted. 

 

 

It wasn't the weather, wasn't the hours, wasn't the people --

 

 

No, Sousuke favored midday shifts because it was the only eight hour shift available to his department that overlapped with _both_ the two o'clock and six-thirty parade. Other available shifts got one or the other or at most one and the beginning or tail end of the other. That was not good enough for him. 

 

 

He glances down, lifting a wrist to take a peek at his watch. He's got about thirty minutes, he realizes, until the second parade begins, although he didn't need to check the time to know that. He can easily read it in the behavior of the guests around him, crowds already starting to form along the sidewalk of street, shuffling around the shade of the shops and situating themselves as comfortably as they can when they have nothing but concrete to sit upon. It's less crowded than normal, being a weekday and all, but when these people gather for parades, they always come in thick enough droves for it to make a noticeable difference. 

 

 

His favorite spot, tucked away in a corner that renders him inconspicuous and thus considerably less approachable, is, to his relief, still vacant. He takes careful steps in that direction, feeling a strong tug in the thick collection of bright red ribbons wound securely around his fist, his balloons fighting against the wind pushing them in the opposite direction. 

 

 

His meandering is slow enough that of course he's still going to be stopped -- it's impossible not to notice him, after all; a coworker had once jokingly remarked that he was so tall, you could always pick out his bouquet of balloons towering high and bobbing along in any crowd from any distance away. As always, the sales have also steadily inclined with the increase of foot traffic in the area, so it takes extra long to reach his destination, family after family huddling around in his pathway and pointing excitedly at which balloon they'd like to pay a ridiculous sum for. 

 

His favorite guests -- the word 'favorite' used as sarcastically as possible -- are the young women that don't stop him with intention of buying anything, but instead opt for a photo opportunity. He's grateful for the aviators perched on his nose, easily hiding the subtle eye-roll he does every time this request is made of him. Obligingly, he holds the tail end of the ribbons while the young ladies grasp the section of ribbon closer to the balloons, posing cheekily for their camera phones while he stands just outside of the frame and waits for this to end. While they each take a turn with a photo, he keeps his eyes trained on his spot. Empty. So far so good.

 

In a walk that should have taken him a minute at most to complete, he makes it to his corner in about fifteen times that amount of time, narrowly avoiding a large family trying to encroach its way in there. He's shrouded in the cooling shadow of the hat shop sitting behind him, pleased with the exceptional tallness he'd been gifted with that grants him an easy view over the heads dotting his vision before him.

 

 

Another watch time check tells him he's got ten minutes, and he manages to pass that amount of time fairly quickly, enough guests finding him in his unobtrusive little spot to make ten minutes disappear in a blink. The collection of ribbons in his grasp decreases steadily as he goes through transactions quickly, uttering few words so as to avoid anyone lingering much longer than the few seconds it took to exchange cash and balloons. It's while he's in the middle of a particular transaction that the opening parade music begins to sound over the loudspeakers situated on rooftops up and down the street, sending any more potential customers scattering away to find their seats. Sousuke is alone again, and he sighs, relieved, resting the hand holding the balloons down by his side while he uses the other to swipe at his sunglasses, pushing them to sit high on the fringe of his hair right above his forehead. The angle of the sun at this time of day renders the shades useless, and, anyway, he wants his vision completely unobstructed for this.

 

 

Seeing this parade enough times now meant it was more or less burned into his memory, a fact he was not particularly proud of. He knows musical cues, dance routines, could tell you how long it takes each float to get from, say, the front of the castle to the front of the park down to the _minute_. He knows when the crowd will react, how they will react, what will cause the best reactions. He was capable of noticing the smallest technical difficulties, of any hiccups or slight changes made on the fly. His lips move along with the song lyrics, not exactly enthusiastically, more because he can, his face as impassive as ever as his eyes roam disinterestedly over the floats and performers passing his view. He can feel the ground thump with the bass of the music, with the stomping of feet, can feel the buzz against his skin as the almost deafening sounds flood his ears and fill him to the core. 

 

 

He doesn't even particularly like the parade so to speak, doesn't enjoy the loud noises or the amount of people it attracts. It's kind of cheesy, too, truth be told, although that kind of goes without saying in a place like this.

 

 

Patiently he waits, though, through four Disney movie-themed floats and three parade stops, a total of about twenty minutes, until, rounding the corner and bounding down the parade route, comes the section of parade dedicated to _The Little Mermaid_. 

 

 

The float, looming in the distance, is heralded by a gaggle of young female performers, their movements and bright pink spandex made to emulate the graceful floatiness of a school of jellyfish. At the tallest point of the float and perched in a large clamshell sits the princess in question, kicking her mermaid tail and waving with one hand while the other clasps a fork she enthusiastically combs through her bright red wig. The rest of her float is made to look like an elaborately imaginative underwater scene, with swirls of purples and blues and greens resembling bubbles and waves and dancing seaweed as colorful plaster fish sway along mechanically with the music. It's an impressive little display, though not any more creative than anything else this production was putting on for the crowd. Sousuke doesn't really care about the float itself, not particularly, and his hand begins to move in small circles, silently urging it to hurry along.

 

 

It continues through the avenue, coasting at its leisurely pace, until it turns around the bend in the esplanade and displays its backside to Sousuke. It's at this point that the music changes and the parade as a whole slows, coming to its third stop, with the back of the mermaid float positioned perfectly right in front of Sousuke, as he knew it would be. 

 

The stops were calculated for a reason, allowing the acrobatic performers located on the floats to safely perform their complex routines while the vehicles were not in motion. Each float had several performers, with a different sort of stunt to complete. This mermaid float entreated the crowd to two acrobats, clad in shiny spandex, the colors of which were tastefully done up in the patterns of tropical fish. Seeing the parade as many times as he had meant Sousuke was visually familiar with each different acrobat on this particular float. There were about seven of them that they shuffled through, he'd found: four women and three men. You couldn't predict who'd be scheduled on any given day, although the more skilled ones tended to get priority. The acrobats on this float performed their routine here at the back, and this is where Sousuke holds his expectant gaze, watching and waiting for the performer nearest to his side of the street to step out onto their platform and begin their routine.

 

At long last, with a confident swagger, the acrobat steps out in long graceful strides, striking and holding a pose as the musical cue dictates. Sousuke notes the bright maroon hair adorned with sparkling seashell accessories and tied back in a tight tiny ponytail, leaving his face obstruction-free to better display the glittery makeup adorning his eyes and cheeks. His grin is sharp, literally sharp, enough to easily distinguish this performer from any other, and he aims it at the crowd with all the confidence he deserves to wear. In his hands he clasps the ends of two long loosely hanging strips of flowing blue silk, each suspended high above him. As the music begins to swell, he grips each strip of fabric in either hand, twists them tightly around his fists, then heaves himself up and begins to climb.

 

 

Sousuke draws in a small breath and holds it, eyes fixated and concentrating. The act is about three and a half minutes, the performer completing a number of complicated stunts while hanging unsecured in midair by the sheer strength of his limbs. He twists in the fabric, spins and swings and climbs, flips his body upside down, contorts it, wraps it in the silk before loosening his grip and allowing himself to tumble gracefully down the length of fabric until he grabs it at the last second and eases his descent. The finale to his routine is to climb high on the fabric, grab tightly with his clenched fingers, and, as another performer stands on his platform and begins turning the silk in place, spin rapidly midair, his legs far outstretched. 

 

 

The applause and cheers are thunderously loud in Sousuke's ears, as they always are, as they should be, and if he weren't holding onto his balloons, he likely be clapping too. He knows the performer isn't quite done yet though, and the thrill of anticipation, the knowledge that the crowd doesn't know what to expect, runs though him, enough to make him want to hush them, 'wait, just _wait_ , watch this.' 

 

The spinning doesn't slow, only increases in speed until the colors of the spandex blur against the blue of the sky above, and then, flawlessly, effortlessly, he releases one of his hands, leaving him to twirl suspended high in the air, holding on for life by the strength of a single tightly squeezed fist. If the reaction before was tremendous, this earned him a cheer that was almost deafening. 

 

 

Sousuke isn't a fan of loud noises, but he likes this, likes witnessing this boy receive the praise he thinks he deserves. He was amazing. He was _beautiful_. Pride swells within him for this person he doesn't even know, and he feels the corners of his lips quirk just slightly. He's so utterly distracted by the sight that he feels his fingers slacken slightly in their grip, just barely registers the feeling of a lone balloon ribbon loosening around his fist. The wind blows strong all at once, finding in his bouquet the straggler and dragging it out, carrying it along through the air. Sousuke doesn't realize what's happening until he feels the ribbon slipping away, the poly satin material running so quickly against his skin that it almost burns. He reacts too slow for it to make much of a difference, so he can only hang his arms and stare with furrowed brows as he watches a pink Mickey Mouse-shaped balloon escape the group and begin sailing over the heads of the crowd.

 

 

The music changes again and the performer climbs his way down the silk fabric to land gracefully onto his platform. He grins broadly, waving at the cheering guests below. It's at this moment that the wind blows in his direction, ruffling loose thin strands of hair that he casually tucks back behind his ear. Sousuke, cringing, watches as the lone balloon floats its way over, sailing so close to the performer that he nearly knocks it with his hand as he waves again. Surprised, the performer falters, his waving hesitating only a second and his grin disappearing. His gaze follows the balloon as it ascends higher past him into the sky, and then, just as the parade float jostles back to life, Sousuke watches the smile return to his lips, softer, fonder.

 

 

The float slowly travels down the street again, but before it gets far enough away, the performer quickly whips his head around, gazing right at Sousuke in the crowd. Sousuke instinctively turns away, lowers his vision, embarrassed that he had drawn attention to himself. A nervous part of him wanted to leave very quickly. There isn't anywhere for him to escape with the crowd so thick, but he feels the need to abscond as soon as possible, and he wishes he could without being seen. Mortified as he is, it's hard to resist looking for too long, and he finds himself inexplicable drawing his gaze back, even as the heat rushes to his face.

 

 

The performer, beaming widely, is waving. It's a gentler wave, a smaller turn of the hand, aimed right at him.

 

 

For a second, the sudden exhilaration that courses through him makes Sousuke feels like he's eight-years-old again. Being acknowledged by the beautiful acrobat was something that had never happened to him, _never_ , not in the hundreds of times he's witnessed this parade. He'd been fine with that, always content with watching from the ground, but this was both alarming and exciting. He doesn't know what to do at first, is paralyzed in his elation, but the float is starting to leave so he forces himself to do the one logical thing he surely must do. His free hand twitches by his side and he raises it hesitantly, high enough so that it's about chest level. He keeps his nervous stare trained on the performer, then raises his fingers just slightly, and moves his hand a little, a tiny, shy wave back.

 

 

It's then that his vision is blotted for a second as a little girl is hoisted onto her father's shoulders, sitting so high that Sousuke's height does nothing to keep his vision from being slightly obscured. She's waving so wildly, so loudly, right at the performer, and when Sousuke spares the acrobat another look, he sees him leaning over, bent a little at the waist, his grin wider and his wave more enthusiastic, now very obviously aimed at the little girl.

 

The embarrassment returns swiftly, more powerfully than the first time. Of course that was not for him. _Of course_. He had never been acknowledged before, and now should be no different. He turns his pathetic attempt at a wave into another action, quickly reaching up to grab his sunglasses and shove them back over his eyes.

 

 

The float rounds the bend in the esplanade, and then it's too far out of Sousuke's gaze for it to matter anymore. 

 

The parade ends about twenty minutes later, give or take. Sousuke has no choice but to endure the rest of it, but, though he'd rather not, though he wish he could walk off somewhere else so he doesn't have to sit through this for the millionth time, he doesn't _really_ mind. Not that he had a choice, but he willingly endured the whole thing time and time again for one reason, and it was worth it every time, no matter how badly he might have embarrassed himself. 

 

 

Even after it's over, it takes some time before the street clears and everything reverts back to normal. A crowd this large rushing out of an area this small was akin to a handful of marbles trying to fall through the same tiny hole together. People were impatient and pushy and selfish, and Sousuke, snorting derisively, can only watch from a distance as they try and disperse as quickly as possible. As the excitement left in the parade's wake dissipates slowly, he finds himself relieved that he could finally breathe again. He returns back to whatever boring thing he was doing before, which happened to be milling around aimlessly, his balloon bouquet in tow.

 

 

Being that this was the second parade for the day, there was nothing left for Sousuke to look forward to. He only had about an hour or so left in his shift, but it always seemed to go way too slow at this point, especially with the promise of freedom beckoning him on the horizon. He does what he can to pass the time, strolling past shop windows and picking out shapes in the sidewalk cracks. He tells himself not to look down at his watch as often as he wants to, and when he at one points finds he can't resist any longer, he notices that only fifteen minutes had passed since he last checked. He grunts softly in annoyance, drags his gaze upward to stare fixedly down the street. He didn't have a lot of places to go, his job confining him to the section street right at the front of the park. When he exhausts all ideas of entertaining himself where he's at, he eventually resolves to make another lap down to the end of the street, meander around near the castle, and then loop back, see how much time that might kill. 

 

 

He's only taken a couple steps in that direction when a peal of laughter, loud and bright, carries its way toward him from somewhere to his right. It's pure reflexes that bring his eyes to flicker briefly in that direction, just curious enough to put a face to the noise, and then he stops abruptly where he's standing.

 

 

The laugh had come from two young guys roughly his age, strolling at a leisurely pace a little ways away from him and talking amongst themselves. Specifically, it came from the taller of the two, which he only deduces when he sees the way his mouth opens wide, unashamed and unabashed, as he cackles loudly. He's pretty, Sousuke sees, with bright pink hair and soft features. The other with him, wearing a crooked cocksure grin and speaking quickly under his breath, elbows him gently in the side. He's gorgeous too, beautiful really, but with a rougher edge to his look, even in the way he carries himself and moves.

 

 

Sousuke would normally stop caring by this point, would've stopped caring even sooner than this actually; even in the loose sweat pants and zipped hoodies they wore, they were undeniably good-looking guys. That wouldn't be enough for Sousuke normally; he was not so easily enticed by beautiful people. 

 

 

Why he stopped had less to do with how exceptionally attractive they were and more to do with the fact that he'd seen that shorter boy on this very street not longer than an hour prior, clad in bright spandex and suspended several feet above him swinging from long strips of blue silk. 

 

 

He couldn't be sure, but he supposed the other guy was likely a parade performer too, the two of them probably done with their shift and hanging out in the park, if the casual street-clothes were anything to go by. There was no mistaking who the shorter one was, however, not when Sousuke had been present for most of his parade performances for the last few months, had eyes only for him to the point of memorization.

 

 

Sousuke had never seen him outside of the parade before. He was no less gorgeous -- probably _more so actually_ \--- like this, all rumpled and at ease and looking so comfy in his casual-wear. Sousuke was transfixed by the sight, like seeing a movie star or model out of their element or something, and he stares for so long that he catches the pink-haired boy blink briefly in his direction, then smile wickedly before elbowing his friend. He mutters something through a smirk, and parade boy pauses mid-thought, glances upward too. He spots Sousuke almost immediately and smiles, and Sousuke, startled, suddenly remembers where he is, what he's doing. There's no crowd to disappear in this time, nothing between the two of them to hide the fact that he had so obviously been looking at him. He averts his eyes quickly, turns his entire body, begins striding away in the opposite direction much brisker than he had been previously.

 

 

He feels ridiculous. He'd wanted to meet this guy someday obviously, and it was bound to happen eventually, especially when they both worked for the same place. He'd prefer it not be like this, though, while he was working and all dressed up in this dumb uniform touting around this silly little balloon bouquet. The last thing he needed was someone that gorgeous interacting with him when he looked like such a fool.

 

 

And, of course, there was that little incident with his stray balloon during the parade today. There wasn't any guarantee the performer even knew that had been him, wasn't any guarantee that he even noticed Sousuke enough to make that connection, but Sousuke didn't want to take that chance.

 

 

Sousuke unfortunately doesn't make it very far before his long legs nearly collides with a small child running directly in his path. She stumbles as he halts quickly before her, the surprise causing her to lose the grip she has on her box of popcorn. It falls from her fingers, clattering onto the sidewalk and littering the ground in bright white kernels. She must be four or five, Sousuke figures as he stares down at her, so it's understandable to expect she'd be upset by something like this. Unsurprisingly, in the silently stunned few seconds it takes her to process what just happened, her face begins to wrench up and turn bright red as her eyes go dewy with blossoming tears.

 

 

Sousuke was already loosening a ribbon in his grip the minute the popcorn carton hit the ground. By the time the sniffling starts, just as her shoulders begin to shake, he eases down onto one knee before her, offering the balloon.

 

 

''My fault," he says softly. 

 

 

She's surprised by the sudden attention, pausing mid-sob to stare at him with wide, confused eyes. He pushes the sunglasses off his face in order to appear less threatening, then moves to grip the ribbon with booth hands. Where the girl's arm is still outstretched, momentarily paralyzed from the popcorn trauma she just experienced, he quickly loops the ribbon around her wrist, securing it in a knot. 

 

 

"There," he says as he finishes. "Won't be losing that one any time soon. No one ties a tighter knot than me."

 

 

He watches he stare down at the ribbon on her wrist, blink slowly and contemplatively, then trail her gaze upward to where the bright yellow balloon bounces over her head. She blinks twice more, then smiles, wide and toothy and bright like the sun. She jiggles her hand a bit, watches the balloon bounce, then laughs right at Sousuke. He can see she's missing a tooth, right in the front, and it makes the laugh sound a bit like a whistle. Sousuke can't help but grin back.

 

 

She says nothing more to him before darting back to her mother a short distance away. As the child dances around her legs, the mother waves gratefully at Sousuke, who returns the gesture, and for a moment he's forgotten what he had been doing seconds before.

 

 

"That was sweet," he hears behind him, and he jumps.

 

 

Sousuke tells himself not to turn, that it would be a bad idea, but knows it would be rude not to, and, anyway, he really couldn't resist even if he tried. Pivoting brings himself face to face with both boys, their cheeky smiles almost identical. Sousuke feels a warmth course across every inch of skin, and he glances away at the ground.

 

 

"Uh," he starts eloquently, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Uh. It's nothing, really." 

 

He takes a shaky step backward. The shorter, red-haired boy takes a step forward to reestablish the distance.

 

 

Sousuke realizes running is now futile.

 

 

"Hello," he manages, and he's proud of himself for getting out that much without fucking it up tremendously.

 

 

The red-haired boy licks his bottom lip slowly before responding. It is incredibly distracting.

 

 

"Hi," he says finally, grinning gleefully like he knows something Sousuke doesn't. His gaze flickers downward to Sousuke's chest, and his mouth parts slightly in a small, "ah," as he draws his glance back upward. "Sousuke."

 

 

Sousuke feels like a jolt of electricity had just shocked him through his whole being. It's such a stupid thing to feel so disproportionately delighted about but -- he'd said his _name_. 

 

 

Sousuke was, for once, grateful for these name tags.

 

 

"Ooh," says his pink haired companion, stepping forward now and slinging an arm over the red-head's shoulder. Up close, Sousuke recognizes him as one of the dancing marionettes from the _Pinnochio_ float. "He's got a name now!"

 

 

"We've been calling you balloon guy," the red-head explains, gesturing between the two of them.

 

 

" _Hot_ balloon guy," the pink-haired one elaborates. "HBG for short."

 

 

Sousuke's face grows hot, but he feels less embarrassed about it when he sees a blush suddenly color the cheeks of the shorter boy as well.

 

 

"Alright, Kisumi," he mumbles, slipping out from under his arm and gently shoving him away. "That's enough. Please leave now."

 

 

Kisumi waves his hand. "Of course, of course! I'll wait for you right over there." He points vaguely behind them before taking a couple steps back and blowing a kiss in Sousuke's direction, winking as he does. "Nice to finally meet you, hot balloon guy!"

 

 

They watch him skip off and park himself on a bench a little ways away, pulling out his phone and playing with it the minute he sits. The shorter boy breathes a noise that's somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle before he starts rubbing at the back of his neck.

 

 

"Don't mind him," he mutters absentmindedly before sneaking a glance up at Sousuke, his expression suddenly coy as he drops his arm. "Where were we?"

 

 

"I…I don't..."

 

 

"Since I know your name now, I guess it's fair if you know mine." He holds out a hand. "Rin."

 

 

Sousuke stares down at the extended hand for a second before clasping it with his own free one. Rin shakes it firmly, but when he releases it, his fingers trail against Sousuke's palm, his touch lingering briefly as they very deliberately slide past Sousuke's own fingers, until he pulls his hand back to himself.

 

 

"Nice to meet you," Sousuke says in a small voice.

 

 

"Same. Finally." Rin laughs. "I'm in the parade."

 

 

_I know_ , Sousuke wants to say. _You're the only reason I watch that fucking parade._

 

 

"Yeah, um," he says instead. " _Little Mermaid_ float."

 

 

This makes Rin raise his eyebrows knowingly, makes his grin curl just the tiniest bit more at the edges, makes his eyes twinkle. "So you are paying attention."

 

 

"I'm.." Shit. Should he not have said that? He could have saved himself potential embarrassment if he'd just pretended not to know. "I just -- you stand out. Or something. Your hair and, uh, teeth, I guess. Hard to miss."

 

 

"Do I?" Rin snorts. "There's some pretty impressive trampolinists on the _Mary Poppins_ float."

 

 

"Well. I mean --"

 

 

"You stand out too, y'know." Rin says quickly, looking away.

 

 

Sousuke hesitates before responding.

 

 

"…yeah?" 

 

 

"Mmhm." Rin glances back, a bit shyly. "You're always working parade shifts."

 

 

Sousuke feels his stomach drop.

 

 

"You noticed."

 

 

"I have." Rin chuckles gently. "How could I not? You're always in the same exact spot."

 

 

Sousuke doesn't tell him that this is because he's found that this the most optimal spot to see him perform, that his vision is never obstructed and the angle is perfect and the sunlight always hits him beautifully.

 

 

He'd embarrassed himself enough as it was having just been outed.

 

 

"Oh, god," he mutters, seizing his eyes shut and placing a hand over his face. "That's -- sorry if that's creepy or something, I don't really -- I'm not -- "

 

 

"It's fine," Rin says, laughing again. 

 

 

It's a glorious sound, enough to lift Sousuke out of his mortification for a moment, and it's made even worse when he feels Rin's fingers tug on his arm, dragging his hand away from his face just enough for Rin to peek up at him with mischievous eyes. 

 

 

"It's cute. Don't worry about it."

 

 

Sousuke stares down at him. At this proximity he can see the bits of glitter dotting the skin around his eyes where he hadn't completely washed off his parade makeup. He's almost overcome with the urge to take a thumb and wipe it off.

 

 

Instead he says, "okay," in a small voice and removes his hand.

 

 

Rin is still looking at him, his gaze all the more concentrated, his smile unfaltering. He slips his bottom lip in between his teeth to gnaw on it contemplatively, and Sousuke watches his eyes flicker down his face to rest on his mouth. He feels his face grow warm again, suddenly self-conscious.

 

 

Rin's eyes return to lock with Sousuke's.

 

 

"Hey, um, this going to sound kind of ridiculous," he says through his smile, "but, well -- doesn't hurt to ask right?"

 

 

Sousuke doesn't know what to expect here, doesn't have any reason to suppose this could take an awful turn, and so he shrugs and nods for him to continue.

 

 

"Can I kiss you?"

 

 

Oh.

 

 

This had gone from zero to one hundred very quickly. 

 

Sousuke feels a bit dizzy.

 

 

" _Wha_ t." He blinks dazedly, still trying to process the request. "N… _now_?" 

 

 

Rin snickers, more from that reaction than the scenario itself, and nods. 

 

 

"I know we just met formally, so I can see why this would sound weird but, you're really cute and, ah." He shrugs. "I see you all the time so I feel like we know each other already. Is that strange?"

 

 

No. Sousuke felt the same way. He always thought that made _him_ weird, but at least he wasn't alone in this.

 

 

He shakes his head in response to the question and somehow brings himself to speak.

 

 

"That's a little forward of you, isn't it?"

 

 

"I'm a forward guy."

 

 

The smile he wears as he says this should be illegal, Sousuke thinks. He wishes he were wearing his sunglasses for this conversation, so he could hide how wide-eyed and shy he felt and likely looked right now. 

 

 

He clears his throat, unsure of how else to respond at this point.

 

 

Rin must have caught the hesitation that crosses his face because his expression changes, his smile faltering so that it was considerably more gentle, more understanding. He shrugs again, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. Everything about him that was so intense only moments before seems to turn down a notch as he visibly backs off. He even takes a step back.

 

 

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable," Rin says sincerely. "If you're not interested, I understand -- "

 

 

"No," Sousuke blurts quickly, perhaps too quickly, maybe even a bit too loudly, enough for Rin to glance up at him in surprise. Sousuke may be flustered as hell right now but he didn't need Rin getting the wrong impression about something like that. "I'm interested. _Very_ interested."

 

 

The surprise vanishes as Rin perks up again, brightening with hope.

 

 

"But?" he asks around his smile.

 

 

"I really...shouldn't." Sousuke coughs. "Not while working, I mean. Could get in trouble. You know how it is."

 

 

"Ah, but -- "

 

 

He feels Rin's fingers trail around on his shirt front, tiptoeing across his chest before circling around the top button with the tip of the index finger.

 

 

"You look so _cute_ in your costume."

 

 

Sousuke's skin tingles beneath his shirt, right where Rin's fingers dance mercilessly, playing with the fabric of his collar while he maintains heavy eye contact. It takes everything in Sousuke to force himself to move his hand, to grip Rin's gently and remove it and return it to him. 

 

 

"Later," Sousuke says in a low voice, and he sees something flicker in Rin's eyes. He didn't know what part of that response affected him, the promise that there could be a later or the velvety rich tone with which he unconsciously uttered it, but, either way, he likes the results it got him.

 

 

Rin's hesitation is brief. He pauses for only a second before bouncing back quickly, confidence restored and the sharp grin along with it. 

 

 

"Okay," he says. "Deal." He produces a pinky. "I'm gonna be in the park with my friend for awhile. Come find us when you're off, yeah?"

 

 

"Give me your number?" Sousuke holds his pinky up too, locking it with Rin's

 

 

"Definitely," Rin squeezes, and the two stand there smiling at each other, unwillingly to end this conversation first.

 

 

It's Rin who finally takes a shy step backward, twining his fingers behind his back and gazing up at the bouquet of balloons.

 

 

"Before I go," he says, nodding upward. "I'll take one of those." 

 

 

Sousuke is confused for a moment, almost forgetting that his primary job here was to sell balloons and not to flirt with the incredibly attractive parade performers. He glances up as if to remind himself what was up there, then frowns, drawing his gaze back down to Rin.

 

 

"Seriously? They're way too expensive. Not worth it."

 

 

"What kind of vendor are you, trying to dissuade a random customer?" Rin says, laughing. "I know how much they cost. I don't care. I've always wanted one." He shoots Sousuke a wink and a single finger gun. "Now I've got hook-ups."

 

 

"I can't just give you one, y'know. No matter how gorgeous you are."

 

 

It's now Rin's took to look embarrassed, blush flooding his face at the comment as a pout forms across his lips and nose. Sousuke likes this look on him. He makes a mental note to try and make it reappear as often as possible.

 

 

Rin begins digging around his pants pocket, eyebrows furrowing as he avoids flustered eye contact. "I'm going to _pay_ for it, idiot." He pulls out paper money. "Should be enough yeah?"

 

 

Sousuke nods, then glances upward at the bouquet. "Which one?"

 

 

Instead of picking out a color, Rin gestures with one lazy crooked finger for Sousuke to bring the bouquet down so he can inspect them more closely. It was an odd request. They looked the same up there as they did any closer, but he didn't think to question it. Sousuke grips the collection of ribbon with his available hand, tugging the balloons nearer to the ground so that they were at eye-level with the two of them.

 

 

Rin stares at the balloons bobbing in place, humming curiously as his eyes roam over the different colors. He circles around them, his hands still laced behind his back, and then disappears behind them, the balloons hovering low enough to the ground that even Sousuke can't see him back there He waits patiently for Rin to reappear, glad he didn't have any other guests waiting to purchase something from him as well.

 

 

Sousuke suddenly feels the ribbons tug oddly in his grasp, watches the tops of the balloons jostle in a curious fashion, and as he peers down at them, he sees a pair of legs poking out from beneath his balloons. He opens his mouth to ask, and then a hand darts out from between two balloons, tugging him by the collar and pulling him into the sea of color.

 

 

Sousuke blinks rapidly in confusion once he's got his head sticking in there, surrounded by all sides by nothing but balloons. He spies Rin in there as well, standing right in the middle of the bouquet, smiling sweetly with his fingers still clasping his collar. In here, in the midst of this sea of balloons, the sun casts its rays of light through each balloon around him, bathing Rin in an almost ethereal mixture of colors from every angle. He looks like a fucking dream and Sousuke can only gape.

 

 

"Is it later enough now?" Rin says quietly through his smile. 

 

 

Sousuke isn't given a chance to respond to that before Rin pulls him closer still and meets him halfway to press his lips softly against the corner of his mouth, quick and chaste enough so that Sousuke could have blinked and missed it. He releases Sousuke and moves away, looking at Sousuke for a second, only to press the back of his hand to his mouth and laugh a fond little laugh. It was a justified reaction; Sousuke likely looked as ridiculous as he felt, his mouth hanging open and his eyes glazed over and his face bright pink.

 

 

The colors begin to move all around them, rising higher and higher until pure sunlight touches them once again, and neither is sure what is happening until Rin casts a confused glance downward to where Sousuke's left hand, the one holding the balloon strings, had slackened so much that the ribbons began easily loosening and unraveling. A strong wind picks up again and the balloons start moving faster, and with a laughing cry of, "Sousuke, stupid, your balloons!" Rin begins grabbing at the ribbons nearest his face, collecting them to himself before too many can get away.

 

 

At the sound of his name, Sousuke jumps and shakes his head, as if being woken from a stupor, and even then it takes him a moment to register what's going on. He curses sharply under his breath, reaching out quickly as well to grab as much ribbon as he can, even as the wind begins to carry some away.

 

 

They manage to hold onto most of them, but the pair watch helplessly as seven balloons are carried off into the sky.

 

 

"Smooth," Rin says snidely out of the corner of his mouth. "How many of those are you planning on letting go today?" 

 

 

"Quiet," Sousuke mutters, glaring. "That was your fault."

 

 

"Nobody saw though! Ingenious, right?" he grins cheekily up at Sousuke, and he looks so goddamn adorable that Sousuke can't even remember why he was annoyed in the first place. "I've been thinking that up for the past month y'know."

 

 

This makes Sousuke pause, cocking an eyebrow, trying to decode the implication in that statement. "You've thought about -- "

 

 

"Kissing you? For the past month? Yeah. Well, longer actually, but that idea in particular was newly hatched." He looks over at Sousuke and laughs once more. "That face again. God, you're too much."

 

 

Sousuke willed the warmth to leave his cheeks, his embarrassment enough to move him to replace his sunglasses over his eyes again. 

 

 

"Are you going to buy something or are you just going to make fun of me," he mumbles.

 

 

Rin smirked, pointing at the bouquet. "The teal one, please."

 

 

He hands Sousuke the money and, after Sousuke pockets it into the apron around his waist, Rin watches him tug down the balloon in question, pulling it out of the group and handing it over. Instead of accepting it, Rin holds out his wrist.

 

 

"Let's see that famous knot-tying then," Rin says teasingly, wiggling his wrist a bit. "Word around the block is that no one ties them tighter."

 

 

Sousuke rolls his eyes, which he knows Rin can't see, before sighing a soft, "shut up," under his breath. Rin laughs.

 

 

All the same, Sousuke moves forward, using both hands to form a loose loop around Rin's wrist and tying a tight knot right at the top. He feels Rin grinning at him the entire time, and so, as he finishes, he uses the tips of his fingers to caress the soft inside Rin's wrist before releasing him. This achieves the desired affect: Rin's smile disappears and he flushes bright red again, seizing the hand back to himself. Sousuke doesn't know if he will ever tire of this.

 

 

"I believe you owe me a number," Sousuke says. 

 

 

"Check the inside of the bill I handed you," Rin mutters, rubbing the back of his neck as his blush fades away. He shoots a pouty glare up at him, pointing at him as he takes a step backward. "Don't forget to find me, okay?"

 

 

"Wouldn't dream of it."

 

 

The pout vanishes as Rin smiles, waves, begins running off to where his friend is still sitting on the bench waiting for him.

 

 

Sousuke watches the balloon bob along behind him as he darts off, watches it float above him as he gestures wildly to his friend and ushers him away, despite his friend's loud demands of, "tell me EVERYTHING." He watches it drift away, getting smaller and smaller as the two make their way down the street, until it's nothing more than a tiny teal dot in the distance. As he stares, his fingers drift absentmindedly toward the corner his mouth, touching the tips gently against the spot where Rin had been. He feels his heart swell in his chest, and it makes it impossible to fight down the smile on his face.

 

 

He sees the balloon again later that day when he meets up with them, and then doesn't see it a second time until about a month later when Rin invites him into his apartment for the first time. It's tied to his bedpost, a little deflated but still hovering in the air.

 

 

"Those last longer than I thought," Sousuke had muttered at the time, grinning.

 

 

"Expensive, but long-lasting," Rin says with a nod. "Worth it, I think. Plus, that knot took forever to get out so -- satisfaction guaranteed."

 

 

It takes about a week before it finally deflates enough to stop float, he finds out through a crying emoji-adorned Snapchat from Rin. The balloon doesn't leave the room though; untied and deflated it sits on his bedside table, lumpy teal remains of a balloon that Rin the neat freak, the anti-hoarder, refuses to throw away. 

 

 

Sousuke sees it every time he comes over. He never comments on it, but the sight of it compels him to tug Rin into a kiss every single time.


End file.
